


My Best Friend's A Werewolf (I hear that happens a lot)

by TruebornAlpha



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Best Friends to Lovers, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Draeden, F/F, F/M, Gen, Liam-centric, Liason, M/M, Post Season 4, Rogue Hunters, Sciles, Slow burn Liason, Slow burn Sciles, malira
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-04 14:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3071444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruebornAlpha/pseuds/TruebornAlpha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Benefactor has been defeated, but life still hasn't returned to normal. In fact, there's nothing normal about turning into a werewolf or trying to survive high school, lacrosse finals, and a band of hunters after your head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> This is a multi-chapter work that is focused mainly on Liam and Mason's growing relationship with a heavy dose of Sciles.

The creature seemed at least seven feet tall, dwarfing the boy as he stared upwards at the beast. It smelled rancid, the bones adorning its body reeked of rotted meat and old blood. The skins of its enemies wrapped tight around it giving a human the strength and speed of an animal with unchecked blood lust. Liam whimpered as it took a step closer, bone armor rattling as it moved.

 _Berserker_.

The beast snarled and Liam scrambled to escape, shoes slipping along rocky gravel as he pushed himself to the limits. Werewolf speed didn’t seem to matter. His legs felt like lead, the road twisting and lengthening beneath his feet and he choked on a sob as the thundering footsteps closed the distance. The thing roared and Liam tripped, gashing his knees open on the loose rocks as he squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears. He would recognize that sound anywhere. Scott, his alpha. His whole body fought to obey, but fear paralyzed him. “Please.” He whispered in a broken voice, tears streaking down his face. “Please don’t hurt me!”

He turned to see the horror bearing down on him, the skull for a head hiding the face he knew too well. It came quickly, like time had suddenly decided to speed up. Claws were raised and Liam barely had time to recognize the tattoo before the attack was on him.

He woke with a yelp, chest heaving and sweat soaked through his blankets. Liam struggled to sit up, not even noticing the sliced ribbons of sheets wound around his claws until it was too late. Oh noooo, not again! His mom was going to kill him if he accidentally ruined another set of bedding. He was running out of excuses and it wasn’t like he could just explain he was half transforming into a monster every time he had a bad dream.

Liam shook his hands until wolf claws melted back into blunt human hands and angrily scrubbed the tears from his face. It was stupid, a memory that he’d dealt with back in Mexico. They’d rescued Scott, the berserkers were gone, he should just be able to get over this and move on! Stupid, stupid, stupid. He flopped back down into damp, shredded sheets with a sigh. He hadn’t been able to sleep through the night in weeks. The dreams kept coming and though most of them had a berserker hunting him down, they’d change sometimes. In some, they weren’t able to save Scott and it was all his fault. In others, he’d scream for help and no one would find him shivering at the bottom of a dark hole. It wasn’t fair, he didn’t ask for this. He didn’t want to be involved in any of it!

His huff of irritation carried more of a snarl than he meant and he forced himself to breathe like Scott had taught him. Control was important, especially with his I.E.D., and it was difficult sometimes to find the line between his human rage and the new animal that crowded unwelcomed in his brain. It was hard enough before when he couldn’t stay more than a year in the same school without being asked to leave for losing his temper, now it felt almost impossible. How could he control something supernatural when he’d never been able to control the plain old human parts of himself?

With a grunt of effort, the boy groped in the dark for his cellphone, almost blinding himself and dropping it on his face as the screen suddenly lit up. “Uuuugh, stop!” He hissed, squinting his eyes to adjust. His fingers hovered a moment over the screen, hesitating. He could message Scott, the older boy had said he could call at any time. There wasn’t anyone else who’d understand better about the dreams or the berserkers. Scott was always patient and made Liam think that maybe being a werewolf wasn’t quite the end of the world if it could make him into someone more like the alpha. It didn’t seem like Scott was ever afraid of anything or if he was, it never stopped him from protecting people. Liam didn’t know what it was like to be that brave and if he was honest with himself, he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to know. Bravery was for heroes, all he wanted to do was graduate high school in one piece, play lacrosse, and if he was extremely lucky, not get kicked out again. He wasn’t sure he could face his parents’ disappointed faces again.

[Text: To MASON] r u awake?

He waited for a few minutes, trying not to get his hopes up in case his best friend was asleep like everyone else in the world at 3:00am, but it didn’t take long until his phone hummed with a reply.

[Text: To LIAM] yea. R U OK? Not sleeping again?

[Text: To MASON] Im ok, just cant sleep

[Text: To LIAM] U want me to come over bro? Or I can call

[Text: To MASON] Nah to late.

His phone hummed again with snapchats of Mason’s face, close up so most of the picture was of the inside of his nostril. He kept sending them until Liam was forced to laugh and gave up sulking.

[Text: To MASON] Stop, ur gonna break my phone wit ur ugly face

[Text: To LIAM] scuse u, my face is the hot face. Go 2 sleep loser

[Text: To MASON] yeah ok. Thnx

[Text: To LIAM] anytime

Liam sighed and set the phone back down on his nightstand, feeling slightly better. Even if Mason didn’t know what was bothering him, there was someone out there in the darkness while everyone else was asleep that cared enough to wake up and worry about him. He wasn’t really alone. It made him feel safe enough to try and close his eyes again.

Across the city, Mason stared at his bedroom ceiling. He tried to convince himself that he wasn’t worried, but every day, his best friend went to school with bloodshot eyes and jumped at shadows. The closest thing he’d gotten to an explanation belonged in a Goosebumps book and four uncomfortable minutes with Stilinski. He and Liam went way back friends in elementary school before Liam was forced to transfer. They’d stay close, playing in the same local kids soccer leagues and youth swimming. They’d both loved sports and bonded over competition, though it was Mason’s patience that made it last. Liam’s rage never frightened him and even when he couldn’t talk his friend down, he could wait until it passed and clean up the damage. The good in Liam was worth the effort, he never knew why no one else could see that. Mason had always thought that Liam would have been fine with coming to him over anything. When he came out to everyone, Liam had supported him every step of the way, even though he’d been so nervous to tell people he was gay. After that, Mason always assumed the trust and support went both ways. It kind of sucked to be wrong.

But that night, not everyone could afford to rest.

Shadows moved with almost military precision, gunmetal barely catching any errant light. Figures moved in formation, silently communicating with the ease of years of practice. They swept through Beacon Hills towards their targets with deadly intent. A new threat had entered the city and the fragile peace built on the ashes of what the Benefactor had left behind was rapidly slipping away.

The Argents, or what was left of them struggled to regroup. Chris Argent took frequent trips around the country, chasing his sister whenever the Calaveras claimed to have a lead. Kate didn’t leave a trail unless she wanted to be found though as time went by, there was more and more evidence her control was slipping. He wished he hadn’t returned. Nothing good ever happened in Beacon Hills.

Argent’s body flew across the room, slamming into his office shelf, splintering wood and breaking glass. The shelf trembled before it collapsed on top of him, crushing more than a few bones. His attackers never stopped, leaving his broken body gasping for air.

There were few things in the world that could strike fear into Gerard Argent’s cold, black heart, but when the door to his bedroom door burst open, cold tendrils of panic dug into it. Before he could speak, two shots were fired into his chest and one to his knee. Blood and black ichor oozed from the wounds as he wheezed, trying feebly to escape his wheel chair.

A tall, imposing figure with stern features stood over him, but the stranger’s expression was regretful.

"For your countless transgression and failure to honor your governing Code, Gerard Argent, you and your constituents are found guilty. The punishment is death."

"Hayward STOP!"

"You’ve left this town in a state of anarchy, Argent. You’ve become the enemy. This has gone on long enough, it’s time someone fixed your mess."

One last shot was fired that night. The silence it left was deafening.


	2. Opening Moves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam seems to have finally found a new set of friends, but where does that mean for the one he's leaving behind? A new enemy takes the offensive against the wolves of Beacon Hills.

The entire bleacher section winced as Stiles took a hit from two defenders and landed flat on his back, number 11 jogging over and grabbing the boy’s hand to yank him to his feet. Scott thunked Stiles on the helmet and they both nodded as the game resumed.  Mason settled back into his seat and wrapped the blanket he’d brought with him tighter around his shoulders. It was brisk but not freezing, already well into the lacrosse season with the championship in their sights. He’d come to cheer on his best friend like always, it had absolutely nothing to do with the tall hot blond on the opposing team.

“You’re doing that thing where you’re staring at his ass and pretending not to.”

“What? No!” Mason said indignantly, trying to scowl down at Malia who’d coopted half of his blanket and cuddled up beside him for warmth. She was here for her boyfriend Stiles. Or maybe she was seeing Kira? He was having a hard time keeping track, upperclassmen had complicated romantic lives when he couldn’t get a date to save his scrawny ass.

Malia rolled her eyes. “If you think he’s hot, you should just tell him.”

“No way, it’s so much more complicated than that. Brett and Liam have a history, you can’t date your best friend’s sports rival, it’s part of the rules.”

The girl snorted, not understanding why any of it was complicated. If you liked someone, then you should tell them. If they liked you back, then you got to spend time together which was nice for everyone. She didn’t miss humans making everything into such a big deal when it was simpler to just be direct. “I don’t think that’s part of the rules.” She said, with certainty. Stiles kept a long list of rules on social behaviors and that wasn’t anywhere on it.

“I don’t want to put him in an awkward situation. He’s more important than some sweet  _sweet_  piece of…uh, lacrosse player.”

“I still think it’s stupid.” Malia almost knocked Mason off his seat as she sprung to her feet. On the field, Kira caught the ball and was immediately checked by an opponent twice her size. “PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE.”

Coach Finstock blew his whistle for a time out and stuck his finger at the bleachers. “You! Stop trying to start a fight.” He yelled before turning and clasping Kira on the shoulder. “And you! Punch that guy in the face, but make sure the ref isn’t watching first.” Malia sat down with a muffled snarl, crossing her arms over her knees. Nothing about this game made sense and she hated watching anyone hurt her pack, though the parts where they knocked heads back was her favorite. The team took the field again and she watched in satisfaction as Scott and Stiles moved in a weirdly coordinated tandem, clearing the way as Kira rushed the goal to score. That was more like it.

If Mason stared during the rest of the game, Malia didn’t point it out, but when Beacon Hills won 7 to 5, he cheered with her. Brett was hot, but nothing beat the flushed look of accomplishment on his best friend’s face. They were one step closer to the championship.

That meant celebration. That meant pizza and video games in the age old tradition of best friend-dom. He started trudging off the bleachers, bundling his blanket in his arms. Malia was already gone, rushing down to the field to lift Kira up off her feet, lacrosse equipment and all like she didn’t weigh a thing.

He skimmed the crowd for Liam, finding the boy still in gear, practically stuck to Scott’s side. Mason approached quickly, a smile settling on to his features. “Hey dude, video games at my place?” He asked, shoulder-checking Liam.

Liam gave him a sorry smile, shrugging. “I already told Scott I’d hang out at his. Rain check?”

"Yeah, sure. Of course," he replied, answering the shrug with his own, but part of him wished he could ask if he could come along. He gave his friend a thump on the back before awkwardly making his way back with the crowd so he couldn’t see Scott sling his arm around Liam’s shoulder or the way they laughed.

—

"I mean, he can’t hang out all the time. He’s got other friends, but-" This wasn’t how he thought he’d be spending his night, but Danny was a good listener. It wasn’t necessarily that he understood Mason, but he was an unbiased ear and sometimes his advice was pretty decent. At first, Mason had only planned to grab a movie and some Chinese takeout. He could have gone online for entertainment, but there was something about getting out of his house and  _walking_ somewhere that made him think he was accomplishing more with his night. Maybe he just needed to work off some of this restless energy or he was going to burst.

"But it’s like he’s got this better, second life or something now." He picked at his nails for a second, shaking his leg. He didn’t look up at Danny, not sure he wanted to risk being judged. A best friend was supposed to be supportive and he’d be there for Liam through a whole lot worse. Somehow it was easier to be there when no one else was willing to help than to be crowded out by new friends and left behind.

"You’re both new here." Danny reminded, tone easy as he looked up from behind a row of DVDs. "And he found somewhere he fits in. Of course he feels good about it."

"I’m happy for him, but -" Mason started to say. Danny arched a brow, and it was kind of incredibly impressive how he hadn’t needed to say anything and Mason was already squirming in guilt.

"So you should probably find something else, too."

"What, you don’t like hanging with me?" Mason teased.

Danny’s smirk was kind of the hottest thing he’d ever seen in a while, but he kept that to himself. 

"Once the rental store downtown opens up, that’s where I’ll be going."

Mason looked down at his copy of Quantum of Solace. ”Maybe that’s where I’ll be going, too.”

Danny laughed easily, and Mason couldn’t not notice the way his dimples deepened. He was an incredibly good looking guy. He was pretty sure that that was a prerequisite to join the Beacon Hills Lacrosse team. Stilinski and Greenberg must have been the exceptions to prove the rule. Mason pretended that he felt the exact same way when his best friend laughed, but he needed a whole set of new advice for that. He hadn’t expected Danny to quiet, and he wasn’t prepared for the pointed glance the other man sent his way. 

"Some things around here are - different, Mason. But Liam will be okay."

It should have been odd. Two months ago, hearing that would have sent off all sorts of alarms in Mason’s head, but now he thought about a large, hulking figure that wore his bones outside his flesh. Now, he only nodded. Danny seemed to understand that, too.

—

"That’s great, Brett!" Elias Town laughed over his phone. "You just got your ass handed to you by the True Alpha." The beta werewolf’s came in, faint and mock-enraged over the speaker, but Elias grinned at his sister, rolling his eyes. They’d teased Brett about it; this was their big showdown with the McCall Pack and he was ‘carrying their honor on his shoulders.’ They’d probably hound him for the rest of the week, too, but that was what pack mates were for.

"Yeah, I’ll see you tonight, okay?"

Elias was still grinning when he hung up. His sister, Debbie, called for him in the kitchen, telling her to grab him a bowl from the top shelf. He yelled back, just as easy, telling her to grow a few inches. As he turned down the corner, the lights flickered. He didn’t think anything of it, until they shut down completely. 

"What?"

"Hey, I was cooking!" Debbie yelled, and that calmed Elias down more than anything else could have. Until the sound of breaking glass caught his attention and the entire house filled with smoke.

“Get down!” Elias grabbed his sister and threw her to the ground with a shout of warning just as the door burst open with a bang, red targeting lasers crisscrossing through the smoke. Debbie coughed, tears streaming down her face at the acrid gas as her brother half-dragged her across the floor searching for an escape route. Humans poured into the house, dressed completely in black with gas masks and night vision goggles obscuring their faces.

Elias’s eyes glowed gold as he tried to see through the darkness, scrambling back across the floor and trying to make it to the back door before their attackers cut off the only way out of the house.

“Elias!” His sister shook in his arms, features already twisted and feral. “They’re coming in the back too. Get up the stairs and try to get out through the window over the porch. I’ll hold them back while you go.”

“I’m not going to leave you!”

Debbie didn’t waste time arguing, shoving her brother towards the stairs. She rounded on the nearest hunter with a snarl, clawing through his protective chest plate with a spray of blood. She staggered as bullets ripped through her body, but refused to fall, tackling one of the hunters and tearing off her face mask. The human’s neck snapped with a wet crack, the woman going still as the wolf howled, sound dying away suddenly as a bullet found its mark.

Elias raced blindly up the stairs, groping for the banister and trying not to wince as his sister was silenced. He had to survive, if he could just get out on the roof he might be able to escape and find help. Almost there, he just had to make it to the windows and he’d get out. Pain ripped through his head as the butt of a rifle slammed against his skull and the boy staggered to his knees. He kept trying to crawl for the window until a heavy black boot caught him in the ribs with a kick, flipping him back onto his stomach. “Please!” He begged, coughing in the thick smoke and holding out his hands, begging for his life. “Please don’t hurt me!” Yellow eyes reflected in the black lenses of the night vision goggles as the hunter raised his weapon. There was the pop of the rifle and the house was silent.

It was hours before anyone found the carnage. Satomai carefully stepped over the threshold of the house, glass crunching underfoot as she moved through the rooms with a quiet dignity. The human police hadn’t found the scene yet, but it was only a matter of time before they came and nothing could be disturbed. Debbie lay crumpled by the foot of the stairs, her brother shot where he cowered upstairs. She paused by each murmuring a quiet prayer to ease their passing and wishing there was something more she could have done to protect them. Their pack had lived unnoticed in Beacon Hills for decades, surviving the destruction of the Hales and keeping control of their animal nature to blend in with the humans around them. It wasn’t until the Benefactor’s assassins had come that her people had been devastated. They were a fraction of what they were and now even those precious few numbers were dwindling. Whoever this new enemy was, they’d declared war on the werewolves in Beacon Hills and none of them were safe. Satomi stood with a sigh, red eyes flickering as grief and rage momentarily broke through the iron grip of her wolf. She gestured slightly, one of her betas hurrying over to her side.

“Yes, ma’am?” He asked, trying not to look at the broken body of his packmate and family lying at his feet.

“Get me Scott McCall.”


	3. Pack Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With rogue hunters on the loose, the pack needs a plan and fast. Liam wonders how he's ever going to stay safe while he struggles to decide if he should reveal his werewolf secret to his best friend.

"What do we know?"

Stiles stumbled into Derek’s loft fifteen minutes late, his face still pillow-creased, and Liam would imagine his breath wasn’t much better. Scott still brightened when he walked in, like even the threat of death couldn’t keep him down, and the beta might have pressed a little closer to the other wolf. Stiles sent him a pointed look that he happily ignored.

"It’s not the Benefactor." Scott answered. "Deputy Parrish says both Meredith and Peter haven’t had contact with anyone since they were taken in, but someone’s targeting Satomi’s pack. They’re probably going after us, too."

"Must be a Tuesday." Stiles grumbled. Liam was really tired of hearing his shit but Scott plowed through, undeterred.

"Braeden got a chance to look at the crime scene. She says there’s a - signature to their work. They’re probably the Haywards, but we’re waiting for more info… So for the meantime, we’re doubling up. No one’s going anywhere by themselves until we have this under control. A couple of Satomi’s people are going to stay at Derek’s, and everyone just - try to be more wary of new people? Liam, you might want to reach out to Brett." 

"Yeah, okay, but what about the rest of us who don’t need to be babysat?" Stiles snorted.

"So everyone but you?" Scott asked, wide-eyed and sweet, and Stiles reached across the table to throw a chip at his face. Derek just growled, causing Liam to jump though Scott and Stiles just ignored the warning.

“You think that they’re going to be safe in the loft? It’s not exactly the most secure place to be, Scott. I can’t be responsible for her pack.”

“They’re not going to be safe anywhere.” Scott said, settling back into the serious discussion. “If they’re targets, so are we. At least we can control this space a whole lot better than anywhere else and if they  _are_  these Hayward hunters, then they’ll think twice about taking on this many wolves at once.”

“That didn’t stop the hunters before.” Liam said quietly, wishing Derek didn’t look at him with those disapproving eyebrows. “They attacked Brett’s pack all together.”

“Those were assassins calling themselves hunters. Real hunters have a code.” Scott said and Liam could tell there was more to the statement that he wasn’t understanding. Everyone shifted, suddenly awkward and silent. Even Stiles looked uncomfortable and Liam leaned in closer to his alpha. There was something he was missing, some kind of shared loss that made Scott’s eyes unfocus and Lydia’s lips press thin. There was so much unspoken pain, he could feel it thrum tense in the air, but no one shared it. He wasn’t sure if they were trying to protect him or if they just weren’t ready to talk about it with each other. Scott had said they all hadn’t made it, but how bad had it gotten? What was he a part of now? Stiles reached out and put a hand on his best friend’s shoulder, rousing Scott out of whatever thoughts held him trapped in his own head and the alpha managed a small smile.

“You okay, buddy?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Liam could hear the skip of a lie in Scott’s heart beat and looked around like someone was going to say something, but they all just let it stand and pretended it was the truth. Stiles’s hand tightened on Scott’s shoulder and he leaned into the touch. Their casual intimacy had always baffled him, but the rest of the pack dismissed their affection without a second thought. It was just the two of them, Scott and Stiles bonded in a way no one else questioned and eventually Liam learned to accept their little quirks though sometimes he wondered. It was hard not to, when he saw the look Scott would give his best friend when he thought no one else was watching. It was something he recognized, the confusion and the need and the fear that examining the feeling too closely could destroy everything important. He watched Scott shove it all back down inside and ignore it with uncomfortable familiarity.

No one else disagreed though. They did what they could, and if Scott wanted to offer a hand to help, no one was going to fight him for long. By the end of it, Liam’s head was spinning. It felt like his alpha was the only thing holding him up, and when the older wolf gave him a quick shake, Liam realized he’d zoned off.

"I can take you home," Scott offered easily, smile terse, but there was a quiet certainty in his gaze that Liam always admired. He didn’t hear the way Stiles’s pulse stuttered, how the human’s words hitched over what was supposed to be a greeting. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have believed it. Nothing could stop Stiles from being a Grade-A asswipe. But the brunette wavered, watching them with an unhappy scowl, until Lydia walked into him and decided he was taking up too much space.

"Thanks, Scott… Is it okay if you drop me off somewhere else?"

—

Liam didn’t relax until he was walking through the door to Mason’s house, not even bothering to knock. If his parents were home, Liam didn’t see them.

"Seriously, man, you couldn’t keep me waiting any longer?" Mason asked, sighing over-dramatically. When Liam got close enough, he elbowed his best friend in the side, but Liam only laughed, nudging his shoulder against the other teen’s.

When he was at Mason’s, he could pretend that things were normal again. He could pretend that there weren’t people out there who wanted him dead. He didn’t bother to spit out an apology for taking so long, though. Instead, he snatched up one of the controllers and plopped on the floor in front of Mason’s bed. “I’m starving, you got anything good?”

Mason snorted, kicking Liam’s flank. “You’re like a garbage disposal, I swear,” he replied, turning on the Xbox. When he turned to see Liam still looking at him expectantly, he rolled his eyes. “I’m not your maid, you can help yourself.”

Liam left the room, returning with his arms full of chips and a plate with leftover chicken on it. Mason would have laughed at the look of concentration on his face if he hadn’t know it’d earn him a smack. “Do you even try to keep your stomach under control anymore?” He asked instead, expecting a look of disapproval.

Liam considered it. Was he hungrier because he was a wolf? He didn’t know how metabolisms worked; maybe it was just all the training he was doing with Scott. That was just another part of being a werewolf, it seemed. It was another thing he’d have to keep hidden from Mason. Unless…

He thought about telling the truth. After all, Mason wouldn’t hate him for it, would he? Would he freak out? Of the two of them, Mason had always been the calm one, the reasonable one. But to find out that his best friend was a werewolf? Maybe even he couldn’t take that.

He tried to tell himself that it was against the rules. He wasn’t supposed to tell anybody. Even though Scott had told his best friend, Liam was sure there was some sort of rule against telling humans. Stiles was a special case, or something. Definitely  _something_ , he thought uncharitably. How someone like Scott could be friends with someone that terrible was one of the great mysteries of the universe.

"Just start the game, asshole," Liam muttered, settling down with greasy fingers. It was too risky telling Mason now.

The game started and he punched the buttons, letting his mind stray from hunters and werewolves and danger, back into the world of teenage boys who played sports and video games.

He focused on keeping his controller in his hands while discovering new ways to make Mason lose. It almost felt like everything was back to normal like this. His life had always been made up of sharp peaks and deep lows as he struggled for control. Things changed too quickly to grow attached as he switched schools, switched doctors, switched teams over and over again when people decided that his outbursts were too much trouble to deal with. It wasn’t his fault, they said he was sick and he was trying so hard to get well, but how many times had he been hauled into the principal’s office and told to try harder. That he was a problem and a bad influence, that he was acting out for attention. They never understood he’d change if he could. The rage exploded so quickly that he acted before his thoughts could catch up with him and regret followed soon after. He wanted to stop, if he could have been normal, he’d have done anything.

Mason had been an unchanging constant and Liam never really understood why his rages hadn’t scared his friend away yet. If he leaned into the other boy’s space more than usual, Mason never pushed him away. Scott had said that to keep control, he needed to find something to anchor him to being human. Derek was always going on and on about pain, but Scott said it could be other things, it could be  _someone._  Liam never felt as human as when he was with his best friend and that had nothing to do with the new wolf that paced inside the back of his mind.

“Hey Liam?” Mason was the one to speak first, filling the silence that had never seemed like distance between them until recently. “Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine, dude. Honestly, it’s just hard being in a new school  _again_.” Liam tried to brush off the concern, focusing on the screen, but his friend paused the game and peered close at the dark circles under his eyes and the way he twitched and jumped at every sudden move.

“You text me in the middle of the night almost every night.” Mason said quietly, not passing judgment, only concern. “I know it’s hard for you starting over, but you and me are in the same school again for the first time since elementary school and you’re doing great at lacrosse and, and it looks like you’ve made a whole lot of other friends too. It should be good, but I’ve never seen you this afraid.”

“I’m not-“ The blond tried to protest but his friend cut him off before he could argue.

“You  _are_. Don’t think I can’t tell, I can always tell. I get that there’s things you might not be telling me and that’s okay. I wish you would, I want you to be able to talk to me, but I’m not going to push you if you’re not ready yet.” Mason took a deep breath and nudged Liam, trying to lighten the mood when all he really wanted to do was take the boy and shake him until he spilled all of his secrets. It was awful trying to be supportive and patient, too used to leaping into battle to defend Liam when no one else would.  “I just want you to know that when you’re ready, if you’re ever ready, that I’d listen. I’m always here if you need me.”

The young wolf was tempted, honesty perched on the edge of his tongue and he swallowed it hastily. He didn’t want to be a part of this life, it was dangerous and deadly, that much he’d picked up already. He was convinced most nights that he wasn’t going to live until the sun came up because monsters were real, how could he drag Mason into that? No one needed to know the world was as terrifying as it was. He nodded shallowly and faked a smile. “Dude, it’s fine. You know if it was anything serious, you’d be the first one I’d come to.”

Mason looked at him for a moment before unpausing the game. If Liam could pretend that everything was alright, he’d try to do the same. The silence stretched between them for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find Tmautog's awesome fics [here](http://nevertrustastilesthing.tumblr.com/)
> 
> You can read Rune's stuff [Here](http://fightingforthepack.tumblr.com/) and find her on tumblr at [ Runicscribbles](runicscribbles.tumblr.com)
> 
> You can find Megan being the best over [Here](http://johnlocked4life.tumblr.com/)


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